Best of Sega Genesis: NHL Hockey 91
I’m not the biggest fan of sports games, but NHL Hockey 91 for Sega Genesis is one of the best in my opinion. There are other versions of hockey and other sports games. Yet, NHL Hockey 91 stands out among all sports games.
It’s just moving a puck around an ice rink and trying to shoot it into the net. But it’s easy to play and is very entertaining compared to the others.
Other Hockey Versions
The reasons 91 is better than other hockey games is simple. Scoring is easiest, there’s fighting, and you can play dirty. They make scoring difficult in subsequent games. Games after 93 dropped the fighting. If it weren’t for that one feature Hockey 95 would be great too.
The fighting doesn’t even happen all that often since it’s hard to trigger. Even when the fighting happens it isn’t anything like Street Fighter. You can throw punches and change the distance between the fighters.
By playing dirty, I mean you can score without shooting the puck. Simply skate toward the net and let the tip of your stick touch the side of the net. Shooting the puck into opposing players to knock them down is fun too. You can also get a speed boost by dashing along the wall, angling away, then check players with devastating speed.
Hockey 91 just seems to have more action due to the easier scoring, fighting, and faster pace.
Other Hockey Versions
Football, baseball, basketball, and even soccer games just aren’t very appealing to me. I don’t know how many failed passes I threw before finally getting a passing play to complete. Soccer is similar to hockey, but hockey is better.
Many sports games in my opinion have a steep learning curve just to play. But Hockey 91 is easy to pick up. There’s something about the players on the white background that makes them easier to see and track. The puck is also much easier to track vs a ball on a green background.
The size of the players compared to the size of the field is also excellent. Sometimes players are too big or too small compared to the field size. Hockey get’s it right.
Fighting
Hockey is faster paced, has a the best playing field size, and fighting. Yes fighting! The fighting feature really adds to the game. They removed the fighting feature after NHLPA 93, which is why following hockey games aren’t as good.
I don’t know what it is about this game, but it brought out something in my wife. She’s the most docile, non-violent person I’ve ever met. In over 20 years of marriage she’s never yelled at the kids or me. She rarely plays video games. But this game made her laugh like no other.
She didn’t even bother to try and score. Just full speed checks. Into the glass, into the bleachers, or open field. It didn’t matter. She played just to check those dumb hockey players and get in fights as much as she could before time ran out.
Fighting was fun, but double checks were the best. That’s where a player get’s checked twice before falling down. They weren’t easy to pull off but somehow we mastered them. Laughing our heads off at those slow motion replays are my best gaming memories. It’s dumb I know. But it’s one of those cases where watching a player bounce off the glass or another player was so dumb it was funny.
Conclusion: A Great Sega Genesis Game
Hockey for the Sega Genesis is hands down the best sports game on that system. I think Hockey 91 is the best version, with NHLPA 93 being a close second (93 added some blood -keep in mind this is low resolution Sega Genesis graphics). Hockey for the Sega Genesis is easy to pick up, fast paced to keep your attention, and offers plenty of action.
If you’re looking for some cheap laughs, check out NHL 91 for the Sega Genesis. Even if you’re not a sports game fan, Hockey for the Sega Genesis isn’t a game that should be overlooked.
Best of Sega Genesis Games: NHL 91 brought to you by: David M.
I’m David M. I’ve been playing video games a long time, my pong game was fire. Now, my kids run circles around me but we always have a good time. We mostly play party and family games. Strategy and battle games are still among my favorites. I like writing about games almost as much as I do playing them. My favorite games are: Moving Out 2, Out of Space and Overcooked All You Can Eat.
